Name Calling
by emmi7thp
Summary: A random conversation between Rumple and Belle during her stay at the Dark Castle. One-shot. ENJOY the Rumbelle fluffiness!


Hey all! I am growing addicted to all of these Rumbelle fictions. You should see my bookmarks bar! It is CRAZY, there are literally 20 Rumple/Belle fanfictions I have bookmarked. GAH, I haven't updated my other Rumbelle fiction in a **while.** I've just read so many now, everything I write(i fear) will be someone else's ideas. HOWEVER, not this one. This particular story came to me while washing my hands at school, weird right? Anyway, I jotted the basic idea down, and here I am. I don't want it to be short, so I will try to add in as much detail as I can. I also realized that the title doesn't become relevant until the very end.

_Description: One of the conversations Belle and Rumplestiltskin had during Belle's stay. Pure fluffiness._

_**Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time and all of it's characters are property of Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz, and ABC.**_

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><p>It was a sunny day in the Dark Castle. Rumple sat at his spinning wheel and Belle was sitting in a chair, curled up, reading one of her favorite books in Rumple's library.<p>

Belle was so enthralled by the ever thickening plot of her book, she hadn't noticed Rumplestilitskin, constantly looking up from his work at the spinning wheel. Looking at her.

He noticed the way her curls framed her fair face. Her flawless skin glowed when hit with the warm sunlight. Her warm rosy cheeks and her bright lips. He thought about her bright blue eyes, as he couldn't see them due to her head being down into her book.

Only when he started watching her so intently did the soothing squeak of the wheel stop and she look up from her battle of orcs and elves.

"Is something the matter?" She said innocently, obviously started by the lack of the sound of the wheel. She looked dazed and confused, as if she had just woken up in a strange place.

Her eyes met his gaze and she squinted at him because the sun hitting her square in the side of the face.

As if he had only just heard her question he responded, "Yes...of course, everything's fine." He tried to play it off and stood up from his position at the spinning wheel and brushed the extra bits of straw off of himself. He started to walk over to her and now it was Belle's turn to watch. She loved it when he wore the shirts with the long puffy sleeves with a leather vest. She also loved the high collars and the knee high leather boots he wore. She always thought it made him look rather, dare she say it, handsome.

She folded over the page to mark her spot and set in neatly on the floor beside her chair.

"So," he said standing next to her chair, trying to make conversation,"Enjoying your book."

To this she smiled and stood up, walking over to the large bookcase on the wall.

"Yes, "she said, "I am! I just started it two days ago and I absolutely cannot put it down. At this rate, I shall be done by tonight." She smiled and got to work getting a ladder to get to the higher shelves of the large bookcase built into the wall.

"Now, now, dearie, don't forget you have work to do. You can't spend day in and day out with your nose in a book." He followed her over to the bookshelf and tapped her nose with his finger.

She giggled that cute little giggle that he loved. He turned to walk away and leave her to get the book, but then something struck him. A scary thought.

_Two days ago, I was gone two days ago settling a deal._

He suddenly turned on her, causing her to turn back around to face him. He walked towards her, pointing his long dirty fingers in her face until he could have touched her nose again.

"Where did you get those books from.?" He squinted his eyes at her and snarled in her face, but she had lived with him for months now, so he didn't scare her anymore.

She simply pointed to the top shelves and said, "Up there."

Rumplestiltskin's golden eyes followed her dainty finger all the way up to the very top shelf. Fear coursed through him. All of a sudden, that top shelf seemed much higher than he remembered. He was struck with horrid visions of Belle falling and getting hurt, dying, breaking bones. Finally he had to force himself to stop thinking about that.

Suddenly he no longer felt scared, he was angry. He started walking towards her, backing her into the wall, cornering her. As he spoke, she stuttered but he wouldn't let her get a word in.

He snarled at her and gritted his teeth, the voice he used to intimidate people, "Two days ago, two days ago! Belle, I was gone two days ago..."

She was shocked that he used her name, he rarely called her Belle, only dearie. "Rumple, you've been gone before, I can handle myself here for a couple days..." Her eyes were wide as she was trying to defend herself, but that was all she could get it before her back hit the wall and her breath was temporarily knocked out of her. But he didn't stop there, he put both hands on the wall around her, his fingers touching the walls of either side of her. She was trapped. This was also the closest she had even been to Rumple, so close that their foreheads were almost touching. Suddenly her heart was racing, but not because he was yelling at her.

"That was so stupid!" he screamed in her face, but he could not bring himself to meet her eyes, and the bewildered look in them. Besides, if he did, the visions of her falling and dying would resurface.

Rumple felt like he was scolding a child, but that didn't matter at the moment, "That was so dangerous, you could have..." but he stopped abruptly.

_Wait _he thought _Why do I care, I am not her guardian, why do I care if she gets hurt? _He tried to convince himself he did not care, but to no avail.

He pushed away from the wall, freeing Belle of her cage, but her eyes didn't loose their confused look, but they continued to search him, looking for possible answers for his anger.

Rumple felt silly, _I am the Dark One, all powerful. Since when am I scared of the top shelf of a bookcase?_

But he knew the answer, he didn't want to accept it. He didn't like it one bit.

_Since her_.

Belle held her hands up to her chest, breathing hard, and not saying a word as she watched Rumplestiltskin, also breathing hard, he ran his fingers through his hair and walked through the sunlight to sit in the chair she had been reading in.

She started to walk over to him, hands still up to her chin, and almost asked _"I could have what?"_, but she didn't. Partly because she knew the answer, and partly because he was already angry with her, she didn't want him to get even more mad. Suddenly she felt a smile break out on her face._ I know why, because I could have gotten hurt._ She felt a small burst in courage, and decided to ask him anyway, ask him a question she already knew the answer to.

She decided to approach the subject gently and waited for him to stop breathing hard before asking, "I could have what?" in the most innocent voice she could muster, without sounding fake.

He looked up at her, obviously debating internally whether or not he should tell her. They locked stares, looking into each other's eyes, lost in each other's eyes.

For what seemed like an eternity they stared into each other's eyes. Belle standing up, a couple feet away from Rumple sitting in her chair.

Finally he said, "Because...because you could have gotten hurt." He looked up at her and she was smiling at him. He was ashamed for thinking of her as frail and weak, even though she was very petite.

Trying to lighten the mood she walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder, she was going to tease him.

"Since when," she began, "is a book shelf too dangerous? Especially since you are the all knowing and all powerful Dark One."

He stood up and grinned at her, realizing she wasn't mad. He walked over towards her and with a flourish of his hand he said, "When I'm not there to protect you. I can't imagine loosing you, for who else would clean and dust my house." He grinned again and wrinkled his nose at her.

Belle giggled, but she couldn't tell whether he was being serious or not. But she liked to think that he genuinely cared about her. She also liked to think that wasn't the real reason he worried about loosing her anymore.

"Well, Mr. Demon Lord," she bowed at him for dramatic effect, "I wouldn't think you could be scared of anything."

Suddenly Rumplestiltskin dissappeared in a puff of purple smoke and reappeared the next second right behind Belle, startling her.

He pointed his fingers at her, "Oh I'm not scared, but if I would be if I were you, dearie, I will warn you one last time, be careful with the name calling." he said it his sing-songy voice.

She gawked at him and crossed her arms, it was her turn to point fingers.

"Says the KING of name calling!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, dearie." He said like a child refusing to admit they fed their vegetables to the dog. Then he grimaced, realizing by calling her dearie, he wasn't helping his case.

He raised an eyebrow at him and giggled. He wasn't going to let her get away with beating him.

"Oh, so now you think it's funny, huh? I'd be careful, or else." he said with all of the ferocity he could muster. But no matter how hard he tried anymore, he couldn't even phase her.

But this just made Belle laugh more,"More threats...hmm. Or else _what_?" Her tone mocked him.

"Or else this." He said with a grin and a flick of his wrist.

Suddenly a thick book came flying off of the top shelf and hurdled straight towards Belle. She gasped, shut her eyes, and turned away to brace herself for impact, but didn't move out of the way. Then, with one swift motion, Rumplestiltskin stuck his arm out and caught the book seconds before it hit her.

When Belle didn't feel anything she opened her eyes to find Rumple standing in front of her, smiling at her again, holding the book out in front of her.

She gingerly took the book and before she could gather herself up again and say thank you Rumple spoke.

"You didn't think I'd let that hit you, did you dearie?" He said, pretending to be offended.

But instead of saying something snarky, like he expected, she put the book down and hugged him.

As she wrapped her arms around him he felt his face grow hot. At first he was surprised by her gesture, but as she buried her head in his chest, he returned the hug and put his arms around her.

They stood there in each other's arms for a long time until Belle took her head away from his chest to look him in the eyes and said, "Thank you, Rumplestiltskin." and put her head back against his chest.

He rested his chin on her head, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair and said, "You're welcome, dearie."

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><p>Tada! This one had by far taken me the longest to write, 3 days! This story is also by far my favorite out of the 5 I have written. Click that little <strong>Write a Review<strong> button and tell me what you think, please! Btw, what's in italic is their thoughts. It's much longer than I expected 2,117 words! WOAH! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it!

~emmi7thp


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